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Mind Blowing Mushroom & Pesto Pizza and Win $500 for #Shroomtember!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Disclosure: I have partnered withLife of Dad, LLC for the #ShroomTember promotion. Sponsored byThe Mushroom Council, the #ShroomTember promotion gives anybody the chance to win a $500 Visa gift card.

There's one type of pizza that always calls to me, no matter what pizza place I go to. Unfortunately, many places don't make a good pesto and mushroom pizza. I got hooked on it in high school. There was a small hole in the wall place near where I grew up. It was a college town so this place was open late. Every Friday night my friends and I would make the trek to our favorite place to get the heavenly slice of pie. I would always order a piece of pesto and mushroom pizza. My night would not be complete without it. Years later I still remember the melting cheese, tender sauteed mushrooms, and pesto with just a hint of garlic and basil.

The hole in the wall pizza parlor is gone now but my craving for this pie is not. This month is #ShroomTember and in our house and we celebrated by creating our own mouth watering pesto pizza made perfect by topping it with mushrooms. The great thing about this recipe is it takes less than 30 minutes to make! It's the perfect midweek meal for busy families. My family (including my kids) couldn't get enough of it.

I love using mushrooms in recipes because they are so versatile. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a meat loving carnivore. However, with using an assorted variety of mushrooms on this pizza I didn't miss the meat. The mushrooms I used are filling and satisfying, not to mention healthy! According to the Mushroom Council, shrooms are low in sodium, gluten free, and when substituted for ground beef can help save tons of calories and extra pounds each year. You can even blend mushrooms with a portion of your favorite ground meat to make your dish healthier and you don't even have to give up your meat entirely. This is great news for meat lovers like me.

The Mushroom Council and LifeofDad.com are actually going the extra step to help families and by offering a contest this month for anyone to enter. Just follow the link below because they are giving away $500 each week to the best mushroom recipe. Just don't make anything better than my pizza, because I want to win this week!

To make my Mind Blowing Mushroom and Pesto pizza recipe, just follow along below and be prepared to fall in love. Remember this pizza takes less than 30 minutes to make so everyone has time for this.

Also check out #ShroomTember on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to see even more mushroom inspiration. When you are on those social media channels make sure and follow Lunchbox Dad, Life of Dad, and The Mushroom Council as well.

Ingredients

Assorted mushrooms (Portobello, Shitake, etc.)

1/3 cup pizza sauce

2/3 cup cheese

1 ready made pizza crust

1 TBSP crushed garlic spread

Artichoke hearts

Sun dried tomatoes

Pesto sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to temperature recommended on the directions for your ready made pizza crust. We used a thin crust because it tasted better with the ingredients, took less time to cook, and is a little healthier. If you prefer regular pan style crust it will work just as well.

2. While your oven is heating up, slice your mushrooms and brown them in a pan on the stovetop. You could saute them in butter or white wine but we like just throwing them in the pan to brown. Stir regularly for about 5 minutes.

3. Smear a small amount of garlic spread on the crust. A little goes a long way!

4. Spread pizza sauce on crust and then distribute cheese on top of that. Place the cooked mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes on top. The great thing about making your own pizza is that you can put as many toppings on it as you want! We like to make sure every topping can be tasted in most every bite so use the mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes liberally!

5. Cook pizza according to directions on crust packaging. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and spoon pesto sauce on top. Don't use too much but make sure every piece will a some on it.

6. Serve, enjoy, and be prepared for your family to sing your praises. The only issue you will have is figuring out what to do with all of your extra time you have because of making this quick and easy recipe!#lbdbento